Our team - our sector expertise

MG Sales Performance has a wide range of trainers, coaches and mentors with diverse skills, who we cherry pick for your needs. All are expert at engaging with and motivating people, and have a genuine enthusiasm to see your teams fulfil their potential - and your business increase its revenue.

All are down-to-earth, encouraging and understand how to engage and challenge people; we create a fertile environment for learning.

Between us we have a vast depth of experience in the hotel, business travel, venue, meeting, conference and events industries; our chosen areas of specialism.

Mark Gallen

Mark's sales career has included mobile communications, directory advertising, information technology and the hospitality industry. He headed up the multi-national account team for a major international hotel group and worked for Carlson Wagonlit Travel negotiating client hotel programmes.

in 2001 Mark set up MG Sales Performance. Since then he has worked with the UK's top hospitality brands, changing the behaviour of sales and operational teams to deliver greater results. He has developed a fresh, modern approach to sales performance based on a robust model that puts leadership and a learning culture at its centre. Mark is a specialist in helping organisations create relevant, functional competency frameworks to measure the skils and behaviour of their people.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Sales & Marketing and holds a Certificate in Training Practice with the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development.

What do the participants say about Mark?
Friendly and unthreatening, Mark respects us and tailors his approach to our individual leaning styles. Always engaging and motivating experience whether it be a course, a presentation or one to one coaching.

Helen Sandman

Helen held a national sales role with Trusthouse Forte Hotels before moving into the agency sector. She had a long and varied career in business development with Inntel, Peter Rand Group and Zibrant. Since 2005 Helen has been working as a Director of MG Sales Performance helping boost clients' sales and revenues.

At MG, Helen has worked on various consultancy, coaching and training projects working with international and national hotel brands such as Park Plaza, Accor, Apex, Village and SACO. Her diverse experience includes work for airlines, travel agents, event agencies, unusual venues and serviced apartment providers. She also managed the training team for Whitbread's award winning Going For Gold sales programme as well as delivering workshops and leadership coaching.

Helen has enormous experience in the agency sales and MICE sector. She works closely with BDRC and is a preferred trainer for the HBAA. She is a Myers Briggs Type Indicator practitioner and uses the personality profiling tool in coaching to help participants understand more about themselves and those they work with.

What do participants say about Helen?
'Helen understands our business. She kept me engaged and motivated throughout the day and I feel that I have learnt a lot about myself and my role that I can immediately put to great effect.'

Catherine Southall

As Business Development for MG Sales Performance Catherine is responsible for maintaining contact with our existing clients and building relationships with new ones. She also manages our social media and runs the MG Sales Talent Networks.

Catherine has always worked in the hospitality sector, starting out in Hotel Front Office Management Catherine spent 7 years at Down Hall County House Hotel where she was Conference Sales Manager before leaving to set up her own corporate entertainments business, CS Events which she sold in 2001 and joined The Peter Rand Group as Account Director. Catherine became Managing Director of RAND (The Peter Rand Group) and was instrumental in the successful sale of the business to Zibrant in 2006 before leaving to have a baby. Catherine rejoined Zibrant in a management role until she came to MG Sales Performance in 2011.

Ben Clayton-Jolly

Ben began his professional life as an officer in the Parachute Regiment before becoming a Country Director in Africa for Raleigh International, the youth development charity. Since 1995 he has been developing leadership, team and organisational performance for a wide variety of national and international organisations, commercial, public sector and NGO.

He works as an associate with MG Sales Performance as a Director of Inspiring Leadership on specific client projects. He typically works as an executive coach or team coach, mainly creating high impact experiential learning experiences, especially around leadership and team development.

Ben is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and has a MA in Psychological Coaching.

What do the participants say about Ben?
"I thoroughly recommend Ben as a professional and inspiring leader. The Leadership Development course I participated in is the most rewarding, enjoyable and informative training I have benefited from. Ben's integrity, energy and genuine enthusiasm for seeing people grow is refreshing in a world of "marketers".

Joanna Aspin

Joanna is a hospitality sales and customer service trainer with over 20 years experience in the industry encompassing sales, front of house and destination management.

She worked initially for Chewton Place near Bath and latterly Destination Bristol, where she developed the UK's leading conference bureau software 'Chaser BUREAU'. As a trainer since 2003 she has a natural ability to connect with delegates enhancing their learning experience. Joanna likes learning to be fun and her aim is for delegates to leave training with a smile on their face and an armoury of practical skills.  

What do participants say about Joanna?
"I thought that your care and attention to detail really shone through as did your professionalism and experience. You've left us plenty to think about and work on"

Anne Harper

Anne has been a sales and customer service trainer for over 15 years. Her clients include Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce, Lloyds, Marriott Hotels, the University of Aberdeen and Scottish Enterprise.
Her career began in Hospitality, working in every department before finally becoming Managing Director of the Cults Hotel in Aberdeen. She has been in sales throughout her career and uses real-life examples to bring her training to life. Her highly active, enthusiastic, relaxed but professional delivery ensures all delegates are involved throughout the programme.

Anne holds an SVQ Level 4 Learning and Development, a Post Graduate Certificate in Coaching and an HND Hotel and Catering Management. She is also Member of the Institute of Hospitality and CIPD.

Catherine Bowie

Catherine has 25 years of practical experience in the tourism and hospitality sector working for a range of organisations, such as Visit Scotland, a leading Incoming Tour Operator and the Howard Hotel, Edinburgh where she was Sales Manager. After lecturing in Tourism and Hospitality for five years Catherine became a Trainer in the Sales and Hospitality sectors.

As a Trainer, Catherine has been responsible for various projects in the UK and overseas, including: Sales and Service training for luxury hotel brands such as Gleneagles, Hilton Group, The Old Course in St Andrews, and the Balmoral in Edinburgh.

As well as Sales Training, Catherine is licensed to deliver the suite of Welcome Host courses.

Catherine is a Fellow member of the Tourism Society and a regular contributor to their monthly newsletter.

What do participants say about Catherine?
'Catherine is an exceptional trainer, She manages to enthuse and instruct even the most reluctant course attendees. I recommend her very highly'.

Hannah Hall

Hannah is MG's Office Manager and is responsible for liaising with clients and organising the programme logistics from inception to successful completion.

Hannah’s career has included administrative and marketing roles within the areas of magazine publishing and private education, both in the UK and overseas. After working for 6 years in Sydney for a leading publishing house, Hannah returned to England to work for a private school as marketing administrator and PA to the school Bursar. Prior to joining MG Sales Performance, Hannah worked for 7Side Legal Services as their Marketing and Events Manager.

Hannah also volunteers in her spare time and has worked as an administrator for the RNIB and as an on call counsellor for Cardiff Women’s Aid.

What do the participants say about you?
'Hannah is organised and efficient with a warm, friendly and helpful approach'.